{Ashen x Drakonnas} Ransei's Revenge {Rated M for Mature}

[Drakonnas]

Edward looked at the berries being held out by Kinta, and smiled, taking them. He recognized them all as berries safe to eat; the boy wasn't trying to harm him. "Thank you, Kinta. Your gift is most appreciated. I too, come with something for you. I couldn't help but notice that your clothes were quite tattered and old. So, I have brought you new clothes, in the hope that you might enjoy them and find them more comfortable and fitting." He tossed a sack with three shirts and three pairs of pants to the child. "These belonged to my son, they might be a little big, but they should fit you fine, and you'll grow into them."

He ate a few berries, and gave a few to Reaper, Buzzy, Polly, and Glacia. Glacia looked eager and happy to see Anyo, but he stayed further away, not wanting to make the dragon-type pokemon uncomfortable. "It seems Glacia is happy to see you two." Edward said, noting his pokemon's behavior. Glacia was having fun manipulating the rain by freezing it, and playing with the newly formed hail droplets. Buzzy eyed the two warily, as if unsure if they were trustworthy or not. Reaper didn't seem to mind, his attention was focused elsewhere.

Edward wandered around the beach, enjoying the feeling of the wet sand inbetween his toes. He had taken his sandals off, and hung them on a strap over his shoulder. "I had a few things in mind. I wanted to see how you fight. Maybe I can give you some pointers here and there. I'd like to teach you how to read and write. Those are vital skills that a man must know. I know not if you understand arithmetic, but I'd like to teach you in that as well. Afterwords, I would like to talk to you and teach you about the world I came from. Tell you stories about my past and about other stories as well. Education, in my opinion, is quite important to being a man." Edward took a flask from his hip and took a long sip of it. "Aaah. Nothing quite like the taste of a good ale." He said, capping it again, and turning back to the kid. "So. What do you think sounds most interesting to you?"

[Ashen]

Kinta looked blankly at the gift in his hands, of the bag of clothes. All this was... for him? Admittedly, his own clothes were tattered, drafty, and ready for the trash, but Kinta had been mending them on his own for years now. To be given new clothes, so easily... He didn't know how to react. It was a touching moment for the kid, who'd not received a real gift from anyone other than Anyo in ages. He removed a shirt from the bag, looked it over. It was like nothing he had seen before. The colors, how did they dye the threads like that? The make of this shirt was very different than the make of his own. He even noted a little pocket over the chest. He would have never been able to make something like this. He looked over the shirt again before turning to Edward. "Thank you," he breathed. "I know not how to express my gratitude adequately. Thank you."

He put the shirt back in the sack and turned to Glacia, smiling. He bowed his acknowledgement to the Pokemon. Anyo beside him was making short noises of happiness, and waving his arms about adorably in greeting. Kinta was aware of the other Pokemon's looks upon him, but he tried not to point it out. If this was going to work they would need to grow to get used to him. He then turned to Edward and listened to all he had to say. The way he laid out the day's plans like a buffet; how was one child expected to choose? One thing, however, had caught his interest, and he thought it over to himself. "You are willing to teach me literacy?" he asked, almost incredulous. Only the men of his tribe were taught such a skill, and even then, not all of them. A tribe of fighters; what good was learning to read and write? Such talents were saved for the scholars, who had been the most overlooked members of his family. But this man, he knew how to read, write, fight, tell stories, and even do arithmetic--whatever that was. Edward truly was the jack-of-all-trades, and he was willing to pass his skills onto Kinta. The child could not believe his luck.

But before Edward could begin any lessons, Kinta motioned to the bag in his hands. He remembered hearing, somewhere, that other cultures took modesty in their own bodies, that undressing in front of someone was a crime. He couldn't remember if that was true, but to be safe, he turned away from Edward. "A moment," he murmured, and he slipped out of his withering shorts. The skin underneath was paler than the rest of him, an unfortunate tan line. He had cuts and bruises over his sensitive skin, reminders of his trials of solitude. He didn't know that even showing the backside was considered inappropriate; after all, it was simple anatomy. He took one of the articles from the sack and tugged at it. The child pulled the pants on, tried to do the button, but he did not know how. Buttons, of course, were a fixture he had never even seen. He left it undone, leaving the pants to sag awkwardly over his thin body. Next, of course, came the shirt. He pulled his own up over his head delicately, careful not to tear the thinning fabric or the sloppy stitches. There were more injuries along his back, including a scar over his shoulder blade that had never quite healed. He took a new shirt from the sack and tugged it over his head, hiding away his scars. It, too, was big on him, but he was too fascinated by the pocket and bright colors to even notice.

Had Kinta been turned towards Edward, the man might have caught glimpses of the boy's questionable anatomy. His chest, too, was filled with scrapes of all kind, and two identical bruises that bulged just a bit more than normal. He was lacking a vital part between his legs, a part he didn't even know he needed. The boy was oblivious, and he turned back around when he was finished. "Have I dressed correctly?" he asked awkwardly. "They should not be so large, should they? The texture, they are most unlike anything I have worn. I... They may take some... accustoming." He held out his arm and felt his sleeve, not liking its feel. "Of what are they made? Can you show me to make my own?"

[Drakonnas]

Edward smiled at the kid's enthusiasm about the clothes. If he was so easily impressed, there would be a lot more where that came from. "You are most welcome. I hope they fit you well." He sat down on the beach, facing away from Kinta to let him change. He petted Glacia gently as he thought, waiting. "Of course I can teach you how to be literate." He said. "It is a very important skill. To be able to record your thoughts, and to be able to communicate with others without using words, it is a very powerful and necessary skill to possess. If you are to be a man, then yes, you will learn how to read and write. Unfortunately, I am not very good at Ransei script, so I will teach you our letters. Then when you have learned that, we can explore Ransei's writing more.

When Kinta was ready, Edward pulled a scroll from his pack. This scroll was unlike anything that Kinta had probably seen before, it was a proper scroll, complete with polished cherrywood handles, and paper that was covered with a laminate that would preserve the paper even in harsh environments. "This is a scroll." He said, holding it out in front of him. "This is what was traditionally used to write on in the old days. However, nowadays, we have books." He pulled out a book from his pack as well.

"This scroll is special. It contains all the letters of our alphabet, the characters we use to write with. It also contains numbers. You will use this to study and remember if you forget. I will show you how to use it." He unrolled the scroll so that Kinta could see. "I don't know how much you know, so I will being with the very basics. These symbols all have a different sound that is made. You will need to learn these symbols and what sounds they make. This way, by combining them, you will learn how to read. Take this letter for example. This is the letter K. It makes this sound." He demonstrated. "See? Try repeating it after me. This is the letter I. It makes..." He proceeded to show Kinta the letters in his name, and how to pronounce each of them. "And when you put them all together, they make sounds that mean something. The K, I, N, T, and A, when put in that order, spells your name." He proceeded to explain all of the letters in order.

"Think you got all that?" He handed the scroll to Kinta. "Now, show me what you remember." Edward was smiling, it was almost as if he was remembering the time he spent teaching his son how to read... It was a bittersweet feeling.

[Ashen]

Kinta watched patiently as Edward pulled out a scroll, and then a book. Sure Kinta's tribe had had books, somewhere, but he had only seen ancient ones before. This one appeared newer, and its pages were whiter. Was everything from the mainland so white? The child looked over all the odd shapes on the scroll. When put together, they were filled with meaning? As Edward moved to the letter K, the boy's eyes lit up in recognition. He waited until Edward went through each of the letters of his name before speaking.

"I know these," he said, his voice filled with excitement. Anyo looked to his trainer's tone and seemed to match his excitement, though the Sliggoo didn't know what was so exciting about some paper. "Look." He reached his hand into his new shirt, pulled out his pendant. "This is K, is it not?" He pointed to the first letter on his pendant, then moved to the second. "And this is... I, yes?" He looked over the letters on the scroll. "K-I-N-T-A. Kinta! It truly does make out my calling, then, does it?" He turned back to his pendant, then hesitated. The other characters, were they letters too? He turned back to the reference, tried to match them. "F," he said, finding the first matching character. "And, what did you call this one? Double... Double oo?"

He looked up, confused, when Edward spoke again. Show me what you remember. He looked down at the scroll again and hesitated before taking it up again. "A," he pronounced, pointing to the first. "B. C. D, eh, G, F, I..." He continued on, getting the occasional letter wrong. Still, he did far better than a child who had only seen the letters once. Kinta looked up to Edward again, seeking praise. "Did I do well?" he asked. "Edward, what are the letters in Anyo? It starts with A, and the second letter, it is..." He looked down at the letters, pointed to the M. Pausing, he changed his mind and pointed to the N. "How do you spell Edward? Or Ransei? Or Pokemon?" He was eager to learn more. Literacy was a new concept to him, one he was excited to learn, one that would lead him on the path to manhood.

[Drakonnas]

Edward smiled, enjoying the look of happiness in Kinta's eyes. "I'm impressed, young Kinta." He said, somewhat gruffly, but happily. "You're getting the hang of it. You must have seen these before, or at least, learned some form of literacy at one point, because you're too good at this for someone who has never learned to read before. That said, I suppose it is possible you're just a fast learner. Yes, that is a W. Very good." But as Kinta began to ask more and more questions, Edward laughed heartily. It was strong and powerful, just like a pirate. "You have as many questions as the sea has fish, my young friend. Anyo is spelled with an A, an N, a Y, and an O, I would think. There exist words that SOUND the same, but are spelled differently, and have entirely different meanings. For example..." He paused for a moment. "In my native tongue, there is a word, T-H-R-E-W, which is a word that means someone tossed something in the past. I threw the apple. There is also a word, T-H-R-O-U-G-H, which means to pass between. But they are pronounced the same way. So it is possible to have one word spelled with different letters. Take the letter P, and the letter H. they have their own unique sounds, no? Put them together, P-H, they make the sound an F would make. Now... Ransei... if I remember correctly from the textbooks, it is spelled R-A-N-S-E-I. But... it could be spelled R-A-N-S-A-Y, R-E-N-S-A-Y, or R-E-N-S-E-I as well."

They continued talking about language, and various aspects of it throughout the course of the entire morning. Edward continued to teach, and answer every question he could. It was fun, watching Kinta's enthusiasm. By midday, Edward had not tired yet, but he wrapped up the scroll anyway. "Here. Keep this with you." He said, packing the book back in his bag. "It will come in handy." He winked. "Now... how about some food? Back in the mainland, we have stores where we go to buy the food we want to have. But out here, we need to find our own. I'm sure that's something you're good at. Tell me what kinds of food you catch here. What do you like to eat, and what don't you like?" Edward had a smile on his face, one that suggested that Kinta was to learn a lot of interesting things today. Ed had brought with him some food from the mainland for Kinta to try.

[Ashen]

There was a whole new world in literacy that Kinta couldn't have ever known. His knowledge of letters came from the times he had poured over Ransei books, not understanding a word of them, but trying to memorize the shapes of the characters within them. Finally, he had the key to deciphering it all, and he was more than eager to memorize it all. He reached for a stick and started carving in the sand, the letters in all he was learning to spell. His penmanship was blocky, unpracticed, sloppy, but he was determined to get better. Even as the sun made its way across the sky, Kinta did not tire, instead taking in this knowledge like nourishment. It was only when Edward said something that he realized how long they had been practicing, and just how hungry he was.

Suddenly the child looked up, and he saw the sun on the other side of the sky. They'd been out here for hours? He looked to Anyo, who was playing in the sand near some of Kinta's letters. Kinta awkwardly scratched at the back of his head. "Yes, uh, I have been gathering the food for Anyo and me for... well, for as long as I can remember. As for the particular species of foods native to my home..." His voice trailed and he looked around. "There are berries here, and fruits of all kinds. Most are edible, but the the red and yellow oval-shaped ones that grow in the trees on the other coast did me ill*. Most often, however, Anyo and I go hunting. There are plenty of Pokemon on the island. Before you arrived, we had the opportunity of spearing a Girafarig, though the favorite of Anyo is Tauros. I prefer the aquatic Pokemon. To be picky is not allowed when your meals are not guaranteed." He looked back to Edward, as if expecting approval for his dietary habits. "I can show you how we gather," he suggested. "Anyo, come."

The boy set off, alphabet chart in hand, to his cave. He was no longer so concerned with showing Edward where he slept. Once there, he disappeared inside and placed his alphabet chart in the back. Kinta emerged with a spear in hand and a smile on his face. "Today will be a good day for hunting," he told Edward. "Pokemon hide from rain, and I know of their riding places." He took off again, effortlessly gliding through the mud, already dirtying his too-big pants. "Have you a preference in meat?" he asked. "I know not what you are accustomed to eat."

* did me ill - made me sick

[Drakonnas]

Edward nodded. "I see. Well, getting food back in the mainland is very different, but I shall explain that at a latter point in time." He said, following Kinta back to his cave, and looking around. "I like this place. Very convenient, and defensive. You chose a good place to stay. As for food... I do like Bouffalant, and Miltank milk and cheese is pretty good as well. I'm not a picky eater, I'll eat most things. I enjoy food. I'm used to eating seafood, and know how to make even Tentacool taste good. But enough of this. Let us go catch dinner." Edward said simply. When they began to go hunting, Edward noticed that it was difficult to keep up with Kinta as the mud slowed him down significantly. He soon had to call for Kinta to stop.

When he had caught up to the boy, Edward shook his head. "Man, you're fast. I'm not used to all this mud. How do you get around so well? I'm gonna go see if I can catch some fish, you can go find something in this mud..." He sighed, and started making his way back to the shore. As he went, he swore silently in his own tongue, and took a drink from his flask. He'd have to refill it before long, which would mean needing to go back to the mainland. Maybe it'd be a good opportunity for Kinta to come along as well.

As he got back to shore, he pulled out his fishing rod, and began to fish, waiting patiently for a fish to bite. He pulled up a Krabby, but didn't have the proper tools, and so he let it go. A Magikarp wasn't a good catch either, but he finally pulled up a Carvahna, which was quite a good catch. He started a fire, and began to cook his dinner, enough for the two of them to share. Left alone with his thoughts and pokemon, Edward waited for Kinta to return.

[Ashen]

The child brightly accepted praise for his choice of living. He listened closely to Edward, confused, as he went on about food. What was cheese, and how could anyone possibly make a Tentacool taste edible? It almost seemed unbelievable. This man, he was an odd one. Would Kinta ever come to learn his ways? Of course, he thought to himself. He had to.

He didn't even notice how fast he was going until Edward called after him. At that, Kinta paused and waited for the larger man to catch up. "I apologize," he murmured, though he was amused. This man, and he was a man, could not even keep up with a child? Weren't men supposed to be superior on all fronts? True, Kinta knew the terrain far better than Edward could have, but shouldn't the man have had some... man instinct to get him around? Kinta had to admit, he didn't know how this all worked. But now was not the time to think on that. It was time to find something to eat.

After Edward had gone his own way, Kinta headed inland. He still remained close to the shore, scouting the lands for any Pokemon fitting enough for a meal. Anyo was beside him sniffing around, trying to help his friend. After a few minutes the Sliggoo stopped suddenly and absorbed the mud. Kinta stopped and looked to what Anyo was attacking, only to find a very flat Pokemon, carefully blending into the mud. Kinta saw it, though, and he readied his spear. When the time was right, he cast his spear, successfully catching the unaware Stunfisk. "Anyo, look!" he said excitedly. "We are successful. I am hopeful Edward likes this catch, as well."

Kinta held the flopping Pokemon in his hands as he scurried off towards the shore again. There was a smile on his face, and as he ran his pants began to sag. Just before he approached Edward he pulled them up while still trying to balance the fish Pokemon. "Edward!" he called to him, then took in the sight of the fire. "You caught something as well?" he asked, slowing to a walk and dropping the Pokemon at their feet. "This is... quite a feast. Anyo and I have not eaten like this in ages."

[Drakonnas]

Edward had begun to sing his Sea Shanties as he began to cook their meals. He had started out calmly, but as the minutes passed, he sang with more and more gusto, more emphasis, more oomph.

Waaaaaay - Heeeeeeey the hearty sailor
Riiii-ses amidst the morning dew!

Waaaaaay - Heeeeeeey like TentaCrueel
We sail on the Seven Seas!

Heeeeeeeeave-Ho! Heeeeeeeeave-Ho! Up the mast she rises!
Heeeeeeeeave-Ho! Heeeeeeeeave-Ho! Up the mast she rises!

Waaaaaay - Heeeeeeey the hearty sailor
Riiii-ses amidst the morning dew!

Waaaaaay - Heeeeeeey like TentaCrueel
We sail on the Seven Seas!

Heeeeeeeeave-Ho! Heeeeeeeeave-Ho! Up the mast she rises!
Heeeeeeeeave-Ho! Heeeeeeeeave-Ho! Up the mast she rises!

As he saw Kinta return, the smell of freshly caught seafood wafted over the area, and Edward rose to greet him. "Welcome back. Has the mighty hunter returned successfully?" He asked, seeing the Stunfisk. "Nice catch, they make a good fillet d'alfonsei." He smiled, and began to prepare the other fish as well. "This is just a quick meal, if I had access to a real kitchen, and real ingredients, then you'd be impressed. I have a pretty good one aboard my ship. Maybe I'll truly cook for you there sometime. But for now, we will eat. Go ahead and help yourself." He sat down on a log, and took a chunk of the meat and took a bite. It really was pretty good.

[Ashen]

Kinta still was confused by the man's words. He didn't know what a fillet d'al--whatever was, nor a kitchen. If he wasn't mistaken, that was a room designated for food preparation, which would make sense. But... for Edward to be calling this a quick meal, that was baffling. Just what sorts of feasts was this man accustomed to? Kinta could not even fathom. Even the banquets his tribe had thrown long ago, there had been food enough for his entire family to be filled, but this foreigner was something else.

He took up a stick and began to cook his food over the fire himself, watching as it turned to a crisper, darker color. He was able to think back to what Edward had been doing earlier. The man was singing, and though Kinta had understood none of his song, he could see how cheery Edward had been. Maybe later Edward would teach him the words of such a song, or they could make up a new song altogether. The idea sounded like a lot of fun, and he could smile just thinking on it.

When his fish finished cooking, he looked over his stick before moving it to Anyo's mouth. The Sliggoo chirped happily and nibbled at the fish. Once he had finished, Kinta took his own bite. They had done well, for this meal was much savory than those Kinta normally had. He offered another bite to Anyo, then finished with his own. Eagerly he went back for seconds. "You say you are better able to prepare with the kitchen on your ship," Kinta murmured. "Would it then be possible for you to prepare our next meal there? You are able to bring it out to me, then, and I can taste the spices of the land over the seas." He finished off a second serving with Anyo's help. Kinta then turned to Edward, his blue-green eyes shining with contentment, hope, the tiniest bit of unease.

Anyo crawled into Kinta's lap then and let out a yawn. The child rolled his eyes at his Pokemon, but there was a smile on his face. "Edward," he said lightly. "I understand I have burdened you much with my request to teach me. However, I must ask. Would it be too much more to ask for guidance with Anyo?" His eyes did not move from his Sliggoo, who was already napping. "When I found him, he was so near death. I never expected him to survive. I am afraid he still has not made a full recovery. He is powerless and frail, and I know not how to aid him. Perhaps you might be able to help us."